Note: If you have circulation issues, can’t feel cold or are allergic to cold, ice may not be the preferred therapy for you and may not be used.

Application: A towel is always put between you and the cold pack. Since swelling and pain often accompany acute injury in the first 72 hours after an injury, ice only may be applied. Ice reduces inflammation and numbs the pain in short spurts like 10 minutes at a time.

Thermotherapy (Heat Therapy)

Purpose: Heat therapy stimulates vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels to bring more blood to an area.

Heat is typically sedating because of its nature to decrease the transmission of pain signals and relax tense muscles.

Heat also decreases stiffness and increases flexibility which is extremely important in a healthy back to assist you in taking back your quality of life.

Application: In office, hot packs may be used on your spine with a towel around them for 10 to 30 minutes.

Cryotherapy/Thermotherapy Combined (Hot/Cold/Hot Therapy)

Purpose: Combining cryotherapy and thermotherapy is often preferred. This allows stimulation of blood flow by drawing blood into an inflamed and painful area with heat and pushing out the blood with an ice pack application.

Application: For most patients coming to our office, a 10 minute hot/10 minute cold/10 minute hot routine is used. This routine is recognized as the Hunting’s Effect whereby too long an ice session reflexively forces the blood back into the inflamed area causing more pain. Hunting’s Effect is useful to the body when you may find yourself in danger of severe cold, but not when trying to manage pain and inflammation. Heat eases muscles and joints and cold pushes out swelling. A balance of the two is best.

Cryotherapy/Thermotherapy/Electrotherapy Combined

Purpose: Often this hot/cold/hot therapy is used along with electrical stimulation which is doubly-effective for your pain management. This generates stimulation of blood flow by drawing blood into an irritated and painful area with heat and pushing out the blood with ice pack application and nerve pain sedation with electrotherapy.

Application: Generally each modality with cryotherapy or thermotherapy is 10 minutes each but may change depending on your condition.

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About Our West Des Moines chiropractic Practice

Our method at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa centers on chiropractic wellness as well as alleviation of pain, particularly spine pain and its related conditions. We administer in depth care for back pain, neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, arm pain, leg pain, and injuries to the body from a car accident, sports injury or other cause. Our chiropractic practice respectfully serves the West Des Moines area. We pride ourselves on being patient-oriented and active to fulfilling your needs be they about insurance filing or appointment making or your health and healing. We provide individualized treatment plans to meet your exact needs. If you're in need of a chiropractor in the West Des Moines area, contact us today!